Bhuna Gosht is essentially a goat curry, made by slow-cooking the meat in a slew of whole spices until soft and tender.
Unlike most other North Indian and Pakistani curry recipes, this curry is on the drier side.
The mutton pieces coated in a delicious and aromatic masala and served with hot roti or naan to make a delicious, filling meal.
I’ve recently been experimenting a lot with mutton and lamb recipes.
While Achari Gosht and goat Paya still remain among my family’s top favorites, this mutton Bhuna recipe always has us licking our fingers.
This spicy Bhuna masala, is an absolute riot of flavors, and the tender meat pairs beautifully with both rice and bread.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
My favorite part about this mutton Bhuna Gosht recipe is the fact that it is quite different from most lamb curry recipes you’ll find out there.
What’s more, making your Bhuna is easier too, all thanks to your trusty pressure cooker.
Pressure cooking helps cut down the cooking time and gets you the perfect tender lamb chunks you’re looking for.
This curry comes together in under 30 minutes, and is a great recipe to turn to on a tiring weeknight.
Ingredients For the Bhuna Gosht Recipe
Ready to make this Bhuna Gosht masala? You’ll need just a simple set of ingredients.
Lamb or goat meat: You can use either goat or lamb meat for this recipe. The idea is to stick to using red meat for this curry dish.
Garam Masala powder: Garam Masala powder, which is basically an Indian allspice powder, is the key to making this spicy Bhuna Gosht.
Onion: We’ll need some sliced onions to form the base for this traditional Bhuna dish.
Tomatoes: The onions team up with the tomatoes and turn into a nice vehicle for all the Indian spices that the recipe calls for.
Ginger-garlic paste: You should be able to find ready to use ginger garlic paste pretty easily in most supermarkets. And of course, you can make it yourself too by combining equal amounts of fresh ginger and garlic and blending it in a food processor.
Red chili powder: I used red chilli powder for this traditional mutton curry.
Turmeric powder: Turmeric powder is another essential for this recipe for Bhuna Gosht. It adds a nice yellow color to the dish.
Coriander powder: You’ll also need a bit of coriander powder to make the masala thicker.
Black cardamom: Whole black cardamom adds a nice earthy aroma to the lamb bhuna.
Clove: You’ll also need a few whole cloves to add some lingering heat to the curry.
Lime juice: A dash of lime juice helps bring some tanginess to the curry and elevates the flavours.
Coriander leaves: Chopped coriander leaves lend a nice touch of freshness to this traditional Bhuna Gosht.
Oil: You’ll need lots of oil to fry the masala and cook the mutton in.
Ghee: A bit of ghee (clarified butter) can really elevate the dish and lend it that beautiful, authentic aroma.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make the Bhuna Gosht
Ready with all the ingredients mentioned and to make this mutton Bhuna? Here’s what you’ll need to do next.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the whole spices in.
Fry them for about a minute, and then add in the sliced onions and saute for 2-5 minutes or until they start browning.
Now add the tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder and cook for 5-7 minutes on low to medium heat.
Now add in the meat with about 1-1 ½ cups of water, close the lid and pressure cook the meat for about 12-15 minutes or until the meat is tender.
In a small tempering pan, heat the ghee and add the garam masala powder. Pour this over the curry and sprinkle lots of chopped coriander leaves before serving!
Substitutions & Variations
- If you’re concerned about the heat, use Kashmiri chili powder, which lends the base of the curry that beautiful red color without adding too much spice.
- To add some more heat to the dish, you can also add some finely chopped green chillies into the curry.
- If you don’t have fresh tomatoes that the recipe calls for, tomato paste can work wonderfully too!
💭Top Tip
To add some more rustic flavor to the dish, you can swap your regular cooking oil with mustard oil.
Equipment
How to Store the Leftover Bhuna Gosht
Bhuna Gosht is one of those recipes that can actually store pretty well too. Whether you have any leftovers or you want to batch make the dish, you can do that easily.
All you’ll need to do is transfer the curry to an airtight container and refrigerate it.
You can also make Mutton Bhuna up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate it until you’re ready to serve it.
Just remember to reheat the curry in the microwave or over the stovetop, and add a little water to moisten it up.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- This authentic Bhuna recipe isn’t like any other classic curry from India and Pakistan. The key to getting the flavor and texture right is to use as little water as possible.
- Even if you must, start by adding little water at a time, and then increase the amount as needed, while constantly stirring the meat.
- If the curry seems too dry for your liking, you can add a cup of whisked yogurt into the meat with spices, and keep stirring it while letting it simmer on low heat.
- If the curry ends up being too runny, you can reduce it to lose some of that water. Simply open the lid, reduce the heat and let the curry cook for 10-15 minutes.
- This recipe for Bhuna Gosht calls for the use of bone-in mutton or lamb, because it packs in the maximum flavor. You can also choose to use the boneless variety if you want to.
- Don't forget to top it with some crispy Air Fryer shallots for a bit of extra flavor.
How to Serve the Bhuna Gosht
This spicy, robust curry can be enjoyed in many different ways. Here are some ideas to get you inspired.
With Flatbread
Traditionally, this mutton curry is served with some soft naan, paratha or rotis. The bread pairs perfectly with the spicy masala that clings to the meat.
If you love spicy food, you should definitely consider serving it with some spicy bullet naan.
With Rice
If you love rice, you can also team up the Bhuna mutton curry with some steamed rice, or even better, serve it with some mutton Biryani to make it a feast!
And Some Sides
You can also enjoy this recipe with an Indian side dish like Indian roasted sweet potatoes, or pair it with a cooling salad like cucumber and mint raita or a crunchy salad like cabbage and carrot salad.
And of course, you can also serve the Bhuna Gosht with some minty Indian buttermilk to wash it down.
FAQs
If you have a tougher cut of meat that you’re worried about getting undercooked, you can choose to add half a teaspoon of meat tenderizer into the washed mutton before you pressure cook it.
You totally can! The idea is to pressure cook the meat to get the perfect, tender mutton pieces for this authentic Bhuna Gosht.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Bhuna Gosht
Ingredients
- 200 g mutton
- 2 onions sliced
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- 1 tablespoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- ½ teaspoon ginger paste
- ½ teaspoon garlic paste
- 1-2 black cardamom
- 3-4 cloves
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoon coriander leaves chopped
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the whole spices in.
- Fry them for about a minute, and then add in the sliced onions and saute for 2-5 minutes or until they start browning.
- Now add the tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, salt, turmeric powder and coriander powder and cook for 5-7 minutes on low to medium heat.
- Now add in the meat with about 1-1 ½ cups of water, close the lid and pressure cook the meat for about 12-15 minutes or until the meat is tender.
- In a small tempering pan, heat the ghee and add the garam masala powder. Pour this over the curry and sprinkle lots of chopped coriander leaves before serving!
